Sunday, December 23, 2012

Top 50 Best Songs of 2012: #40-36

#40. "Crew Love" - Drake featuring The Weeknd
After 2011's critically acclaimed Take Care, there was no doubt Toronto and October's Very Own young hip-hop superstars were only getting started in their gradual takeover. While 22 year-old camera shy The Weeknd went on to produce and release his own highly praised The Trilogy this year, and Drake continued to dip his pen in every industry ink jar, rap collaborations such as this popular slow jam (featuring one of the year's most distinctive opening beats) are a chart topping recipe they've perfected.

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#39. "I Love It" - Icona Pop ft. Charli XCX
Whether The Ting Tings, The Knife or Icona Pop - sometimes we all just need a shamelessly uplifting dose of bubblegum dance anthem in our lives. "I drove my car into the bridge and I don't care," might not be the wisest words to come from the Swedish girl duos sassy mouths, but paired with an adrenaline stomp and electronica melody - I really do love it.

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#38. "Golden Light" - Twin Shadow
Rising star hipster George Lewis Jr., AKA Twin Shadow, began crafting his own brand of melodic synthpop in 2010 after a church choir upbringing in Florida, Boston and New York. Tapping into the popular resurgence of flashy, retro-caked new wave beats - Lewis' addition to the game is best heard through his mature, confident vocals and ability to snag a pretty hook for his downtown jams. When his high howl repeats "I'll follow you" before transitioning into sparkling keyboard - you expect John Hughes movie credits to roll before you.

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#37. "Angels" - The xx
From first pang of the Brit-rockers coined echoey guitar, the world was ready for xx round two. The first single off the quartet's sophomore release, "Angels" immediately captures the same ethereal, emotional effect their acclaimed debut initiated with profound minimalist chords; something that haters would argue demonstrates their lacking departure from a tried and tested sound. Fans would argue it's not really something that knows any limits.

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#36. "O I Long to Feel Your Arms Around Me" - Father John Misty
Former Fleet Foxes drummer and scruffy solo artist J. Tillman adopted this new musical moniker in late 2012, releasing Fear Fun, his debut under the pseudonym and a refreshingly sunny Americana collection of wandering tales, harvesting harmonies and infectious instrumentation. On putting together the hippie stories, Tillman pretty perfectly explained how the departure from Fleet Foxes and solo territory into his own flavour of experimental folk came to be: "I got into my van with enough mushrooms to choke a horse and started driving down the coast with nowhere to go. After a few weeks, I was writing a novel, which is where I finally found my narrative voice." Special.